“You have to be your own best publicist” – That was the recommendation I received when asking a 360 feedback rater to share her advice for a high performing female client at a Fortune 500 company. My client’s credentials, vast experience, deep cross functional knowledge, and leadership skills resulted in many significant business outcomes and transformational change. Yet many of the top leaders at her organization were unaware of her leadership impact or her ambition. Sound familiar? Many women are leading incredible projects and accomplishing great outcomes, but their “heads down” approach means that their contributions may go unnoticed, and their organization’s leaders are not fully leveraging or promoting their own diverse talent.

A heads down approach often works well in school where success is based on grades and in the early part of one’s career. However, to advance to the higher ranks of an organization, senior leaders need to know about your contribution leading an important cross functional project, a new initiative that saved money, time, or improved processes, patient outcomes, or revenue. It is also important to let senior leaders know about your ambitions to have a bigger impact and how the results you achieved could benefit the organization if you are given an expanded role. If humility is a cherished value, you may need to shift your mindset. Rather than thinking that you are bragging, try telling yourself, that you are letting your leadership know about an important business or patient outcome so that you and your team will be recognized for your contributions and so other parts of the organization can fully leverage your ideas and expertise.   

As you reflect on the past year, what is an initiative that you spearheaded that had a meaningful impact on your organization or society (i.e. ESG initiatives)? What was your role or your contribution? Who needs to know about it? Be strategic and create a proactive stakeholder engagement plan. Identify key senior leaders and influential stakeholders and schedule meetings to tell them succinct stories about the positive outcomes that you and your team drove. Share your ideas for expanding your influence by asking for a stretch assignment, a promotion, or the ability to expand a successful program to other parts of the organization.

Research shows that men have more diverse networks, advocate for themselves more often, and are more transactional about asking for what they want. When senior leaders discuss promotion opportunities for C-Suite roles, one question they ask is, “did she express an interest in this role and advocate for herself?” Unfortunately, there are many instances where the answer has been no. Instead of waiting to be tapped for the next role or promotion, ask for it. Ask for what you want and explain how your organization can benefit by putting you in that elevated role given your track record of driving patient and business outcomes.